The present invention is directed toward a downdraft table and more particularly, toward a downdraft table that is particularly adapted for use in cleaning electronic equipment such as computers and the like.
Downdraft tables are, per se, well known in various arts. They are comprised essentially of a table or supporting work surface on which various manufacturing or fabricating activities can be carried out. The table is normally in the form of a grid or perforated surface and includes a fan below the table surface that draws fumes or airborne particulate matter downwardly to protect the workman from the same. A filter is frequently located between the fan and the table surface to capture noxious fumes or particulate matter before the filtered air is expelled into the surrounding atmosphere.
Downdraft tables have also been used for cleaning various articles or pieces of equipment. This is necessary when the cleaning process produces gases or debris or particles (such as dust) that must be removed and this is particularly true if the gases or particles may be harmful to the worker cleaning the equipment.
It is well known that computers or similar pieces of electronic equipment accumulate significant amounts of dust that can interfere with their operation by causing overheating or other problems. It is believed that downdraft tables could be useful when cleaning such pieces of equipment. However, the cleaning of computers is usually done using compressed air and, most frequently, canned compressed air. Such cans do not hold very much air and are useful, therefore, for relatively small cleaning jobs. Larger cleaning jobs would require several cans or an alternate source of compressed air. To Applicant's knowledge, no one has ever proposed combining a source of compressed air with a downdraft table so that computers and other electronic equipment could be efficiently and economically cleaned on the table.
Thus, there is a need for a downdraft table with a source of compressed air that can be used for cleaning computers and other electronic equipment.